When interviewing a job candidate, there is a way to inquire about a person’s abilities by asking forward-looking questions that test her ability to imagine being in the role, and how she would handle it. 

A forward-looking question could be, “Let’s say you get this job. Early into your employment, a new coworker tells you that one of your employees is spreading negative rumors about you. What do you do?” 

Or, “If you were to get this job, what would your first 3 months look like?” 

Hearing candidates articulate their plans and how they might handle potentially stressful scenarios is helpful. However, there is a limitation with this kind of questioning. Since it is based in the future, a candidate may be able to really ‘talk the talk’ about what she would do, but this doesn’t really provide an indication of what she has done historically, or if she has the tools to actually proceed with the plans she’s just articulated to you. Basically, these questions provide those people who can ‘talk the talk,’ but not ‘walk the walk,’ an easy out.

So when you’re interviewing someone, you may want to ask one or two future-looking questions, but balance your candidates’ responses with the fact that you’re asking about plans, and nothing she’s proven she can do.

What do you think about future-looking questions? Share with us in the comments below.